This monograph challenges the notion that Islam is, at its core, an intolerant
religion. Through a careful reading of the Qur’an, the Hadith literature, and
extra-canonical texts, as well as examples from history, Reza Shah-Kazemi
argues that Islam is rooted in an inclusivist ethic that permeates the foundations of Islamic belief and practice. He provides numerous examples of how
Muslims have behaved in accordance with the Islamic values of unity
(tawḥīd), mercy (raḥmān), and compassion (raḥmah) elucidated in the
Qur’an and the Hadith, and illustrated in history from the early Islamic period
to recent centuries. This volume provides an academic and sophisticated reading
of tolerance in Muslim history that is accessible to the scholar, student,
and layperson interested in how Islam deals with religious minorities.
American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences